Fuel feeding installation for internal combustion engine



May'30, 1967 E. BRUCAR 3,

FUEL FEEDING INSTALLATION FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 20, 1964 I INVENTOR.

4* Elias Brucar I United States Patent 3,322,407 FUEL FEEDING INSTALLATION FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Elias Brucar, Paris, France, assignor to Fortissimo Etablissement, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed Oct. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 405,066 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 11, 1964, 7,632/ 64 7 Claims. (Cl. 261-34) The present invention relates to a fuel feeding installation for internal combustion engine.

As is well-known, the object of the carburation is to form in a suitable amount with two elements, one of which is gaseous (the air) and the other being a liquid (the fuel or petrol), a combustible gaseous mixture, for every condition of use of the engine, i.e. for every engine speed. This mixture is defined by its composition, by its physical state or condition (temperature, pressure, vaporization, etc.) and by its kinetic state. The combustion can be complete only if the air-fuel mixture complies with several indispensable conditions; as a matter of fact, it must be suitably proportioned; be in the state of vapour; be perfectly homogeneous.

The carburettors usually employed have just to prepare the air-fuel mixture, but it must be noted that the three above-mentioned conditions can not be met with the known carburettors.

The invention aims at overcoming this drawback. To this end, it relates to a fuel feeding installation for internal combustion engine, comprising a fuel pump and a carburettor, this installation being characterized in that it further comprises a device inserted between the fuel pump and the carburettor, said device being adapted to mix the fuel with air before its entering the carburettor, the fuel thus being rendered lighter and more aerated, in order to improve the combustion and, therefore, the efiiciency of the engine.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the installation according to the invention. There is shown in the drawing only what is necessary for an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the mixing device of the said embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic layout of a typical internal combustion engine system including a mixing device in accordance with the present invention.

The mixing device M illustrated comprises a body 1 in which is screwed a plug 2. The body 1 is rigidly connected with a pipe 3 which is connected with the carburettor C for an engine E, FIG. 3, whereas the plug 2 is rigidly connected with a pipe 4 which is connected with the fuel pump P that is connected by a line L with a source of fuel supply (not shown). The body 1 and the plug 2 are hollowed in their interior, so that when they are assembled as shown in FIG. 1, a chamber 5 is formed therebetween. Flat parts 6 are provided at the outer portion of the plug 2 so that it can be seized with a tool for being screwed or unscrewed. Twelve holes or air vents 7 are provided in the body 1, in the immediate vicinity of the plug 2. These holes 7 open on the chamber 5. In the latter are arranged a plurality of elements, namely:

(a) Three upstream sieves 8, 9 and 10, separated by washers 11. The sieves 8 and 10 are plain, whereas the middle sieve 9 is corrugated;

(b) One homogenizer 12, consisting of a plate which is perforatmi in all directions, more particularly radially and vertically; the homogenizer might also consist of a plate made from porous material with open pores;

(c) Three downstream sieves 13, 14 and 15, similar to the sieves 8 to 10 and separated by washers 16. The sieves 13 and 1-5 are plain, whereas the middle sieve 14 is corrugated.

It is well-known that in the modern standard carburettors fuel and air are mixed in a variable proportion lying between 1:13 and 1:15 according to the tuning chosen for the engine (maximum output or fuel economy). In these carburettors the liquid fuel is mixed with air. It has been found in practice that the mixture is better and more homogeneous if two gases are mixed together, instead of mixing a liquid with a gas. Just for that purpose the above described mixing device is inserted between the fuel pump and the carburettor. On leaving said device the fuel is lighter and more aerated and has a foam-like appearance due to an intimate mixing of fuel droplets dispersed in air. By way of example, a fuel with a density of .766 has only, on leaving the mixing device, a density of .650. This light and aerated fuel then enters the carburettor which is of a conventionalconstruction, wherein it is mixed with an additional amount of air in order to obtain the mixture which will be fed into the engine cylinders.

The operation of the device described is as follows:

The mixing device receives the fuel through the pipe 4 under a certain pressure of about .25 kg./cm. The fuel first passes through the upstream sieves 8 to 10. The corrugated shape of the middle sieve 9 increases the contact area. The fuel is thus divided into thin jets having a relatively great speed. The increased pressure of these jets results in sucking up a significant quantity of air through the holes 7, this suction being similar to that of a filter-pump. This air is mixed with the fuel in the homogenizer 12 and then in the downstream sieves 13 to 15. The fuel is thus converted into a foaming jet or stream the colour of which is different from that of the pure fuel entering the device. This foaming stream consists of a predetermined mixture of air and fuel and enters the carburettor under a light and aerated condition. This mixture, which is nearly gaseous, is then mixed in the carburettor with a further amount of air in the proportion required. The latter mixing is easier than in the conventional carburettors in which the liquid fuel is mixed with air.

Owing to the homogenizer 12 and to the Vaporizers 13 to 15, the mixture coming out of the device is homogeneous and finely vaporized, in other Words, on the one hand, the mixture has the same composition in all of its parts and, on the other hand, the droplets of fuel have very minute dimensions.

The tests made by applicant have shown that the three conditions stated in the foregoing introduction are perfectly fulfilled if the above described mixing device is inserted between the fuel pump and the carburettor. Said insertion results in a better combustion and, therefore, in an improvement of the engine efliciency.

While a representative embodiment and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A fuel mixing device for insertion in a fuel supply line in advance of a carburetor for an internal combustion engine, said mixing device comprising a body with a cavity opening through one side thereof, a plug closing said cavity opening and defining a chamber in said body, said body having at least one air admitting hole in communication with said chamber and a fuel passageway through said body and opening into opposite sides of said chamber, and mixing means in said chamber between said passageway openings and including a pair of sieves with a homogenizing plate having radial and vertical passages between said sieves, whereby the carburetor is fed with a foam consisting of air and fuel.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said hole opens into said chamber at the periphery of said plate, whereby air is admitted into said chamber to flow in the same direction as the fuel.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said plate comprises a plurality of thin perforated plates.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein each of said pair of sieves comprises a stack of individual sieves separated by washers between their peripheral portions, the outer of said sieves of each stack being planar and the intermediate of said sieves being corrugated.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said cavity opening is internally threaded and said plug is threaded therein.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the bottom of said cavity and the inner end of said plug are recessed to each receive one stack of said sieves, said air hole comprising a plurality of channels formed in the body.

7. In a fuel feeding installation for an internal combustion engine including a fuel pump and a carburetor connected by a fuel line, a mixing device in said fuel line between said fuel pump and said carburetor and comprising a body with a cavity opening through one side thereof, a plug closing said cavity opening and defining a chamber in said body, said body having at least one air admitting hole in communciation with said chamber and a fuel passageway through said body and in communication at its opposite ends with said fuel line, said passageway opening into opposite sides of said chamber, and mixing means in said chamber between said passageway openings and including a pair of sieves with a homogenizing plate having radial and vertical passages between said sieves, whereby the carburetor is fed with a foam consisting of air and fuel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,200,609 10/1916 Handy 261100 1,280,463 10/1918 Henes 261-75 2,121,506 6/1938 Mennesson 261-37 2,787,452 4/ 1957 Aghnides. 2,790,632 4/1957 Mellette 239-4285 XR 2,998,928 9/1961 Aghnides.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

R. R. WEAVER, Examiner. 

1. A FUEL MIXING DEVICE FOR INSERTION IN A FUEL SUPPLY LINE IN ADVANCE OF A CARBURETOR FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, SAID MIXING DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY WITH A CAVITY OPENING THROUGH ONE SIDE THEREOF, A PLUG CLOSING SAID CAVITY OPENING AND DEFINING A CHAMBER IN SAID BODY, SAID BODY HAVING AT LEAST ONE AIR ADMITTING HOLE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER AND A FUEL PASSAGEWAY THROUGH SAID BODY AND OPENING INTO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CHAMBER, AND MIXING MEANS IN SAID CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID PASSAGEWAY OPENINGS AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF SIEVES WITH A HOMOGENIZING PLATE HAVING RADIAL AND VERTICAL PASSAGES BETWEEN SAID SIEVES, WHEREBY THE CARBURETOR IS FED WITH A FOAM CONSISTING OF AIR AND FUEL. 